Back-spring construction for seats



April 3-, 1928.

F. A. PETTINGELL ET AL BACK SPRING CONSTRUCTION FOR SEATS 2 Sheets-Sheet J.

April 3, 1928.

F.A.PETHNGELL 1,664,526 ET AL BACK SPRING CONSTRUCTION FOR SEATS I 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 23l l923 cur-ugly.

Patented Apr. 3, 1928.

v IT ES PATENT OFFICE,

FREDRIC A; rn'rrnvenrnann ALEX NDER CARLSON, or DAYTON, OHIO, ASSIGNORS TO DAYTON-WRIGHT COMPANY, OF DAYTON, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

naoxtsrnme CONSTRUCTION ron SEATS.

Applicationfiled February 23, 1923. Serial No. 620,595.

portion.

Another object is to provide a spring. which fits snugly over the rear part of the seat cushion and which is yieldable upwardly enough to permit the seat cushion to beinserted thereunder or removed.

Further objects and advantages of the present'invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein a preferred form of embodiment of the invention is clearly shown.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front view of the back spring built according to this invention and is taken along line 11 of Fig. 6.

Fig. 2 is an end elevation along line 2-2 of Fig. 1. e

Fig. 3 is a section along line 33 of Fig. 1 and shows how thecoils in the three upper rows are linked together and supported against lateral displacement.

Fig. l is a perspective view of the rel'atively stiff frame for holding the bottom row of coils against any lateral displacement.

Fig. 5 is a detail view of a link for linking the coils together.

Fig. 6 is a somewhat diagrammatic view showing the back spring in position on a seat.

In the drawings like reference characters refer to like parts throughout the several views. a a

The coiled springs 11 and 12 have their bottom turns fastened or anchored in the comparatively stiff frame by means of clips 13 and the cross members 14. The cross members 14 are preferably U-shaped sections of sheet metal having the bottom turn of each of the springs 11 and 12 inserted therein, the metal being then pressed firmly around the wire of the spring to clamp it tightly and thus hold the springs 11 and 12 which lie adjacent. the frame 10 firmly clamped thereto by the sheet metal clips 13 in the mannerwell known in the art. Of course,,if desired, the frame members 10 instead of being round wire, as shown, could be a U-shaped section of sheet metal and fastened to the springs lland 12 in the manner described above for the members 14.

g The springs 12 constituting the bottom row of springs adjacent the seat cushion '15 (see Fig. 6) are made of heavier wire and hence are .much stiffer than the remaining springs 11 which are all shown as made from the same size wire. 'If desired however the size of wire of springs 11 may vary, the light-V est'wirebein'g at'the top, sothat the stiff- .ne'ss of the springs increases progressively from the top to the bottom. The bottom springs are desired to be the least yieldable in order to support the lower part of the back of the person sitting upon the seat, while'the to'p springs are the most yieldable to give a very soft cushioning to the shoulders when leaning backward. The intermediate springs are desired to progressively increase'in yieldability from the bottom row to the top row'of springs in order to give an approximately even pressure against the" back of the person'occ'upying the seat. Now in order to accomplish this result'the bottom springs 12 arequite rigidly secured together along their-front turns by means of the comparatively heavy wire 20 to which the top turns are fastened by the clips 21 similar to clips 18; This heavy wire 20 is. carried down at an angle at the sides as shown at 22 in Figs. 2'and 4 and attached to the frame 10 by the clips 23. It is thus seen that the wire 20 quite rigidly supports the bottom springs 12 against any lateral displacement up or down and also decreases theiryieldability' since it does not permit one or two of the springs 12 to be depressed individually but compels quite a numberto be depressed together on account of the rigidity of wire 20.

All the remaining springs 11 have no rigid interconnection but are linked together by means of the cross links 25 (as shown in side springs being tied at each side by means of the wires or strings 27 to a suitable stationary support as will be, readily understood. Up and down disalignment is prevented by the top springs being similarly tied by the wires or strings 28 and the bottom springs being held against upward mo vement by the quite rigid wire 22, as will be clearly understood from viewing Fig 2.

The yieldability of the springs 11 is increased by attaching the links 26 thereto sev eral turns behind the foremost turn instead of at the foremost turn as is done in ordinary spring backs not built according to' this invention. It has been found that when the springs are tied in place in an automobile body by the links 26 and strings 28 that the turns behind the point Where such links and strings have been fastened are under more or less initial compression and hence the yield-' ability of such turns has been decreased.

7 Therefore if the top row of springs has four turns having no such initial compression,

thc next row three turns, the next two, etc.,

it will be obvious that the yieldability of the springs will progressively decrease from the top to the bottom. Such an arrangement for linking together the rows of springs is clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 6. It is not intended that the invention be limited to the form shown wherein the links' 26 lead in an approximately straight line from the front turn of the bottommost springs '12 to about the center of the top springs 11.

It is obvious that the upper three rows of springs 11 may be linked'together in various Ways to hold them against disalignment and still have one or more of the front turns free and unfettered whereby they will be rendered-'more freely yieldable. If desired, the cross links 25 instead of being fastened to the-springs 11 along their front turns, as shown in the drawings, may be fastened along their second or third turns from the front whereby the yieldability of the springs will be further increased.

The removable seat cushion 15 extends below and fits snugly under the back spring, as shown in Fig. '6. If desired, the heavy wire 20 at the bottom forward corner of the back spring may be made capable of being raised a small distance by having a sliding connection at clip 23 between the end 30 of'wire- 20 and the frame 10. This permits wire 20 to yield upwardly a short disstrong coiled springs arranged along the bot-V tom of said frame and a plurality of other relatively weak coiled springsdistributed over the remaining area of the frame, said strong springs being bound together along their front'coils by a comparatively rigid member whereby the bottom portion of said pressed down into 1 spring construction ismore rigidly held in' place.

ing a plurality of' coiled springs having their back coils anchored in p lace,-the bottom row of said springs-being relatively strong and having their forward portionssupported against lateral displacement, and the remaining springs, being relatively weak and having their front coils unsupported laterally.v I a .3. A seat-back spring ,construction comprising a plurality of coiledsprings having their back coils anchored in place, the lower row of said springs having their front-coils supported against lateral displacement, while the remaining springs having their front coils unsupported whereby they are rendered more yieldable.

4. A seat-back spring construction comprising a, plurality of coiled springs having their back coils anchored in place, the lower row of said springs having their front coils supported against lateral displacement, while the remaining springs are laterally supported back of the front coil at'a distance increasing with the distance of the spring from the lower row whereby said springs are progressively more yieldable from the bottom to the top.

In testimony whereof we hereto afiix our signatures.

:FREIDRIC QA. PET'1INGELL. V ALEXANDER CARLSON.

2. A seat-back spring construction includ- IOU 

